Mayor, City Council Take Action to Protect Renters
No Interest, Fees, Penalties Allowed for
Documented Inability
to Pay Due to Coronavirus Crisis

To protect residential and commercial tenants having trouble paying rent on time due to the coronavirus crisis, Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez and the City Council took action at the April 21 regular meeting by approving a resolution (item A.14) adopting the provisions of Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-37-20 regarding evictions and building upon them by forbidding charging of interest, fees or penalties for non-payment or late payment of rent.

The resolution cites acceptable reasons for non-payment or late payment including but not limited to:
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sickness due to a confirmed or suspected case of Covid-19 or service as a caregiver to a household or family member sick with a confirmed or suspected case of Covid-19;

lay-off, loss of hours or other income reduction resulting from Covid-19, the state of emergency, or related government response; or

a tenant's need to miss work to care for a child whose school was closed in response to Covid-19.

The resolution is retroactive to March 27, 2020, the date of the Governor's Executive Order, and will remain in effect through May 31, 2020 (the date referenced in the Governor's Executive Order), or until such time as the provisions of the Executive Order are terminated by the Governor.

"We want to make sure no one gets penalized when rent can't be paid specifically because of coronavirus," Mayor Gutierrez explained. "This crisis is beyond anyone's ability to control."

The Mayor made it clear that the City's resolution does not relieve renters from the responsibility of eventually paying any rent that was not paid on time. Under both the Governor's Executive Order and the City's resolution, renters must share with their landlord documentation of their inability to pay on time. Such documentation could include termination notices, payroll checks, pay stubs, bank statements, medical bills, or signed letters or statements from an employer or supervisor explaining the tenant's changed financial circumstances.

Upon request, this news release will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with disabilities, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Any person with a disability who requires a modification or accommodation in order to participate in this meeting should direct such requests to, ADA Coordinator, at 951.413.3045 at least 72 hours before the meeting. The 72-hour notification will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.